taking you to roads less traveled

Menu

Category Archives: Yamanashi Prefecture

I am fond of traveling to picturesque places. Since it`s summer, my focus is on flower fields. I love beautiful sceneries and to see a field full of blooming flowers feels like I am in heaven.

The flower in season for the month of September is cosmos. I wanted to see something unique, not just a flower park, so I headed to Hana no Miyako Koen which is located in Yamanakakomura in Yamanashi Prefecture. There you can see a park full of flowers with Mt. Fuji in the background.

Since I live in Gifu Prefecture, I had to wake up early to catch the first train going to Nagoya. From Nagoya, I had to ride a shinkansen. It isn`t wise to miss a specific train from your transportation schedule because uou`ll end up with a lot of train transfers. That was what happened to me because I had to make a stop in the restroom. The transfer time wasn`t long so I ended up missing my next train. I think it`s best to reserve a seat in the Shinkansen and the limited express train if you really want to travel comfortably during Silver Week or Golden Week. My shinkansen ride from Nagoya to Yokohama was convenient because I had no seatmate. From Yokohama, I was never able to sit in all my train transfers until I reached Kawaguchiko.

I left my notes on how to go to Yamanakako so I decided to get off in Kawaguchiko. I`ve been in Kawaguchiko twice already so I feel safe in that place. I decided to eat lunch and bought the local udon from the same restaurant in the station. I don`t know why I always end up buying the same local udon when I don`t even enjoy udon.

From Kawaguchiko, I rode the train going to Fuji Station which was just the second stop. I inquired in the tourist section in Fuji Station on how I can go to Hana no Miyako Koen. I don`t know if the bus system in that area is just not efficient or if the person-in-charge in the tourist section doesn`t know the bus schedule. The person working there told me what time the bus was coming but no bus came. I asked a local who was in the bus stop and she gave me a different time schedule, too. Prior to going to Fuji Station, the person working in Kawaguchiko station also gave me a different time schedule for the bus. This got me really confused and frustrated. In the end, I say you gotta trust the local. The bus ride going to Yamanakakomura took too long. My friend, who I ended up meeting in Fuji Station, and I got a little bit worried. Eventually, maybe after 40 minutes, we reached our bus stop `Hana no Miyako Koen`.

We reached the park at almost past 2pm. It was gloomy so Mt. Fuji was not visible. I also noticed that Mt. Fuji is nearer when you are in Yamanakako than in Kawaguchiko. However, I was still able to get a shot of the beautiful flower field with a different mountain in the background.

Going home, the bus was late. I was not sure if it even arrived. A bus that stopped by on the opposite side of the street saw us waiting in the bus stop. The driver told us to get in the bus so he could bring us to a different bus stop that would pass by in Fuji Station. When we got off the bus, we saw our two friends in the bus stop! Eventually, the four of us were able to ride the bus going to Fuji Station but we got off in the house where we were to stay for the night. Actually, four of us were supposed to go to Hana no Miyako Koen together on that day but our time of arrival just didn`t coincide.

Hana no Miyako Koen has varieties of flowers in bloom. I think two to three hours are enough to go around the place. What I liked most was the area filled with orange flowers. I`m not really sure what kind of flowers they are. Being in a flower field surrounded with flowers makes me appreciate the effort that Japanese people take in preserving and beautifying their environment. I love their love for nature. It makes me realize what a truly wonderful world we live in. It inspires me to have my own garden at home It also makes me think on what I can do to help the environment in my own simple way. If we want to continue enjoying the beauty of nature , let us also do our part in helping the environment.

Tips for Travelers:

Make sure you go to Fuji Station early because there aren`t a lot of buses going to Hana no Miyako Koen. The bus arrives only every hour. As a tourist, of course, you have to inquire in the Tourist section for the bus schedule. But just in case your bus doesn`t arrive, try also asking a local. I really had a problem concerning the buses because they didn`t arrive as scheduled. Make sure you also know the last bus going home or else get ready to walk to the station. But as far as I can remember it`s around 5 pm.

How to Get There:

Taking a bus from Nagoya is way cheaper. You can go to Meitetsu Bus Ticket Counter in Nagoya, which is just at the back of Nagoya Station and buy a ticket bound for Fujisan Station. You can check this website for fare rates. From Fujisan Station, you can make an inquiry in the tourist center on how to go to Hana no Miyako Koen in Yamanakako It takes around 40 minutes from the station.